Behemoth

 

8/11/26 Maple Leaf neighborhood

Occasionally walking past the latest behemoth to join the ‘hood, I finally stopped to sketch it on a cool, sunny morning. Another walker stopped to see what I was sketching, and it launched a tirade of anger and frustration: These developments do nothing to resolve the severe shortage of affordable housing. The low quality of materials used by this and other notorious developers means the building will likely be torn down in a couple of decades (unlike our own homes that are a hundred years old). We both observed the number of trees that were probably cut down on the back side of the property where three more duplicate houses are in various stages of construction by the same developer. Note the scale of nearby houses.

Activity in the Forest Trailhead

 

8/10/26 Red panda and tree kangaroo, Woodland Park Zoo

I hadn’t been back to Woodland Park Zoo’s new Forest Trailhead exhibit since it opened in May. That time, it had been difficult to see the animals beyond quick, distant glimpses. Last Monday was a good time to return: All the animals were more active, so as they moved around the exhibit, I could follow until they were in better positions to sketch. Carson, the red panda, gave me the best view when he flopped down on a branch to doze.

As usual, I got so excited and engrossed in sketching that I took almost no photos. This photo of one of the tree kangaroos was the only one I remembered to snap.

On my way back out, I stopped to see the Humboldt penguins. A mama gull and her youngster were trying to get in on the penguin feeding. The keeper who was giving a presentation said that mama gull had made a nest in the open-air penguin exhibit and was now raising her chicks there! Although the keepers avoid feeding them, the clever opportunists know when free room and board are a good deal.

Humboldt penguins and an opportunist.

The Interview

 

8/7/26 Whole Foods cafe

I could tell immediately by their body language: A job interview was taking place. After walking to an errand, I had stopped at Whole Foods’ café for an iced Americano. Tempted to sketch them at the adjacent table, I resisted, not wanting to add to the candidate’s stress if she happened to catch me observing them.

Although I could hear the manager’s questions clearly (the position was for a Whole Foods cashier), the candidate’s responses were so quiet that I couldn’t hear them at all. Recalling the many job interviews I had been on in my career, they had all been conducted in proper offices – not in a noisy, distracting café where patrons could easily overhear. It all made me cringe with empathy.

Of the many things I am grateful for about retirement, never having to go on another job interview is near the top of the list.  

Colorful Clouds of Belonging

 

8/9/26 "Clouds of Belonging" installed outside King Street Station

USk Seattle had one of its most colorful outings ever. “Clouds of Belonging,” a temporary installation in front of King Street Station, “is composed of large cloud-like forms that introduce softness, color, and light into the surrounding urban landscape,” according to the city’s Office of Arts and Culture. Artist Alex Proba invites visitors “to move through, pause within, and simply enjoy a bright, sculptural environment designed for connection.” As nearly everyone in the group focused on the sculpture, it definitely formed a connection for all of us.

After finishing the full-color version (top of post) from the railroad overpass, I was going to move on to other subjects. Then as I walked around, I found more viewpoints I liked, so I drew it twice more.

While I ate lunch in the courtyard outside International District/Chinatown Station, Mariners fans continually streamed out of the station and walked in the direction of T-Mobile Park (below, right).

At the throwdown back at the “Clouds,” USk Seattle came through with an impressive variety of compositions. The whimsical clouds were certainly inspiring as well as colorful.

Smokeless in Seattle

 

8/8/26 Woodland Park Rose Garden

When the smoke finally cleared, I rejoiced by throwing all the windows open and heading out for Woodland Park Rose Garden. Disappointed that I had a conflict on the day of a planned USk outing there, I didn’t want to miss sketching those fantastical topiary trees. As many times as I’ve sketched them, I never seem to tire of their challenging, whimsical forms.

Last year I had noted how shaggy they looked, like they hadn’t been trimmed in a while. The gardeners have been busy since then – the trees looked mighty sharp on this visit.

The garden is full of these topiary trees. Here
are a couple more.

Cannot Be Unseen

 

8/6/26 photo reference

In addition to feeling oppressive, our days of unhealthy, smoke-filled skies were frustrating: What a waste of otherwise excellent sketching weather! During an abbreviated morning walk, wishing I could linger for a sketch, I snapped a quick photo of a stunning yellow-green tree. My intention was to sketch from the photo the same day: Maybe the immediacy would help me feel more like I had sketched it from life.

That didn’t work; I still felt like I was just sketching from a photo. Nonetheless, I enjoyed trying to capture the crown’s volume and that brilliant color. Although it wasn’t a conscious choice, I noted afterwards that the Stillman & Birn Delta sketchbook’s off-white paper captured the day’s smoky yellow light.

It was when I was putting the sketchbook on my scanner that I saw it: The tree was a green man’s profile. Auugghh!! Once seen, it cannot be unseen.

Smoky Skyline

 

8/6/26 Skyline from Maple Leaf Park
(As easily as I use brightly colored Uglybooks for everyday sketches,
this is one time I wanted white paper. Fortunately, I always have a
Field Notes in my daily-carry.)

It was Day 4 of our smoky skies. Not nearly as bad as some smoke days we’ve had, when I could sketch the red sun with my bare eyes, it was still rated “unhealthy” by my air quality app. Still, like the previous three days, I went out for abbreviated fitness walks, telling myself I wouldn’t prolong exposure by sketching (and yet each time I did).

From Maple Leaf Park, I can usually see the city skyline distinctly, but behind the sickly yellow haze, it looked smudgy. Beyond that smoke, I knew the sky was blue, and it pained me to waste another beautiful day not being able to sketch outdoors.

But I can’t talk about pain. For that, we need to go to Spokane, where 700 homes and other structures have been lost, and 60,000 residents have had to evacuate to escape the blazes. This is no ordinary wildfire with natural causes, however; authorities now believe the source was arson.